The Beginning
by DawnrunnerMoon
Summary: Zolu AU one-shot where Zoro and Luffy are in high school. Zoro just wanted to stay after and do his homework. But then, his best friend Luffy decided to tag along.


**This story is just a Zolu one-shot right now, but I might make it longer. I might add more characters, and maybe have NamixUsopp. **

Zoro sat on the cool tile floor, leaning back against the wall of the school's hallway, textbook in lap, scribbling illegible notes on a pad of loose-leaf paper. He was trying to ignore the boy next to him who was flicking pencils across the floor for no good reason and talking energetically about something "super cool" he had seen the other day. Zoro had just wanted to stay after school for a few peaceful hours to get his homework done, but of course Luffy had to tag along. Zoro smiled to himself. He really didn't mind that Luffy had stayed after with him. He loved spending time with him. He loved- Zoro's thoughts were interrupted by an invasion of personal space. Luffy stuck his face right in front of Zoro's.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zoro sputtered in surprise as he jumped backwards. Luffy had two pencils (unsharpened) sticking out of his nose and into his mouth. A crazed laugh erupted from Luffy's lips and he spat out the pencils.

"Chopper and I made that up the other day! Isn't it great!" Luffy said, still giggling. Zoro rested his head on his hand, set down his pencil, and let out an exasperated sigh. "Luffy, I have no idea what that is but it is certainly not great," he said in a slightly joking manner. Luffy pouted and straightened the Straw Hat that he always wore. "Aw, come on, Zoro. All you want to do his Homework. You're so boring, I'm gonna call you Boro." Zoro tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't do it., even though the joke was totally lame. Luffy usually had that effect on him.

"Luffy, I only need to finish a few more pages. Could you be quiet for just a minute."

Luffy's face went serious. He nodded with determination, turned around, and put his head down. Zoro roled his eyes and went back to scribbling. He didn't know why he kept working. Zoro knew he would never get anything done with Luffy here. He was just so distracting, even when he wasn't doing anything. The other boy being there made it hard for Zoro to concentrate on anything else.

"The quiet minute is over!" Luffy yelled suddenly. Zoro looked up from his notes. "Did you actually count the seconds, Luffy?" Luffy nodded, a huge smile on his face.

"Well don't act so proud about it, you only counted to 60!"

Luffy burst into another fit of crazed laughter. He leaned against Zoro, and started doubling over, wheezing. Zoro blushed as Luffy rested his head on shoulder, still giggling. Why did this kid find everything so damn funny? And why did he find this kid so damn adorable?

"Get off me, you little weirdo," Zoro said with a small laugh, pushing Luffy off of him. Luffy rolled backwards and sat up with a mischievous grin on his face. _Oh no, _Zoro thought, _what now?_ Luffy's grin widened.

"Zoro," he said, "do you want to climb the tall bleachers in the gym?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Because, it would be fun."

"No, it wouldn't. They're just bleachers," Zoro said with a sigh. "Anyway, we'd probably just get caught and get in trouble."

"Oh, are you afraid?"

"No, I just don't want to go through the boring experience of sitting in the principles office."

"Well, I don't want to go through the boring experience of watching you do homework."

Zoro smiled. "Too, bad, I'm not going." He went back to his work, leaving Luffy to pout next to him. He looked cute when he pouted. Zoro sighed. He didn't know if he was supposed to think that. He and Luffy had been best friends for what seemed like forever and the idea that they could be more than that was- Zoro scolded himself when the first words that he thought of were exhilarating, exciting, and just a little bit scary- the idea that they could be more than friends was wrong, that's what it was. They could- they should- never be anything else.

Zoro glanced over to Luffy as he sensed movement. Luffy had lunged forward and he grabbed Zoro's textbook. He then jumped up and ran halfway down the hallway.

Zoro glared at the other boy. "Give it back, Luffy. What are you even doing?"

"Your textbook," Luffy said mischievously, "is going to be at the top of the bleachers." And with that, Luffy took off down the hall and ran towards the gyms. Zoro jumped to his feet. "Seriously?" he called after Luffy. Why was he so obsessed with climbing those stupid bleachers? Zoro rolled his eyes in frustration. There was no point in getting angry about it, the only option was to run after his crazy friend and get his book back.

Zoro started running down the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the emptiness. Zoro felt a thrill of excitement course through him, and he tried to ignore it. Why was he even excited? They were just bleachers. But Zoro knew he wasn't excited about the bleachers. He was excited about the person he was running after and the prospect of doing something completely ridiculous with him just for the fun of it.

Zoro heard a laugh down the hallway to his left and he skidded around the corner, just to see Luffy disappear around another corner ahead of him. _Really, Luffy? Really, _Zoro thought, as he raced after the Straw Hat clad kid.

When Zoro burst into the empty gym, he saw Luffy scaling the bleachers that were folded against the wall. He had Zoro's textbook under one of his arms, and that goofy grin still occupied his features.

"You're slow, Zoro," he called down from above.

"Yeah, right," Zoro retorted. "Why are you doing this, Luffy? What's the point?"

Luffy laughed as he reached the top. He pushed himself up and dangled his feet off the edge. "The point is to have fun"-Luffy broke off and his grin faded as he watched his Straw Hat tumble through the air. It must have fallen off on his way up. Zoro stepped forward, smiled, and caught the hat in one hand. He looked it over. "It's fine, Luffy. I'll bring it up to you," Zoro said, knowing that Luffy would be worried about his Straw Hat.

Luffy's grin came back. "Thanks, Zoro."

Zoro nodded, and walked over to the bleachers. Tucking the Straw Hat carefully under his arm, he started to climb up the flat bleachers like a ladder. As he climbed higher, and got closer to Luffy, his heart beat faster. What was so exciting? Why was adrenaline pumping through his veins? Zoro's hand reached the top and Luffy grabbed his arm and helped pull him up. When Zoro looked up, he was staring right into Luffy's eyes. Zoro's heart skipped a beat. Luffy's eyes always had that crazy light in them. Luffy was actually always crazy. Zoro loved that about him.

Zoro blinked and snapped himself out of whatever zone he had been in. He took the Straw Hat and shoved it affectionately onto Luffy's head, squishing the boy's unruly black hair.

"Here you go," he said.

"Thanks," Luffy said, grinning.

Zoro let out a short laugh. "How do you always smile so much?"

"Because there's always a reason to be happy. Especially right now."

Zoro gave him a questioning glance, but Luffy didn't elaborate, so they sat next to each other and looked out into the empty gym. Zoro realized then that they were actually really high up. His heart started racing again, but he didn't think it was the height. He mainly thought it was how close he was to Luffy, and how close their hands were to touching.

Zoro could feel Luffy's eyes boring into him and he tried to keep his gaze staring straight forward.

"Zoro," Luffy said, "I'm going to try something."

Before Zoro could say anything, Luffy had grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. Zoro's eyes widened, and he felt everything stop. Time stood still for a second and Zoro waited for his heart to beat again. Zoro couldn't describe what was going through his head. He just couldn't. Shock didn't even begin to cover it.

And then, Zoro's heart beat. And it was beating so fast that Zoro could hear it pumping in his ears. He pulled away from Luffy. Luffy was grinning, again.

Zoro realized how happy he was that Luffy had taken his book, and he realized suddenly how much he loved these stupid bleachers and how this moment would go down as maybe the happiest moment of his whole life.

"Luffy …" Zoro said, breathless. Luffy just smiled. Zoro leaned forwards and his lips found Luffty's. Zoro closed his eyes and lost himself in this one little moment of paradise. Zoro knew then that this was the point. This was the point of the little adventure to the bleachers, and if he had noticed that it would lead to this, he would have been down that hallway long before Luffy.

""I love you Luffy, you little weirdo."

"And I love you, Zoro."

And from that point on the two boys were lost in each other, and would be for the rest of their lives.

The end.

**Sorry for the really cheesy ending. I wasn't sure what to write. Please review! **


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